2010 Annual Report on Homelessness in San Diego County

At minimum, 8,574 homeless people reside in the streets and shelters of San Diego County. Over half of those in San Diego County (53.6%) live in places not meant for human habitation.

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PRLog - Oct. 25, 2010 - SAN DIEGO -- The Regional Task Force on The Homeless’ (RTFH) annual 2010 Regional Homeless Profile will be released on October 26th with a press conference and community discussion taking place 10:00am, at National University Rooms 114 & 116. Results come from an extensive research model including a Point-in-Time physical street count, hundreds of trained volunteers, a maintained Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and an in-depth street survey.

The Regional Homeless Profile (RHP) is a broad-based analysis of homelessness in our region. Data in the RHP includes: the AHAR – Annual Homeless Assessment Report, the annual Point-In-Time (PIT) count of sheltered and street homeless persons; an in-depth survey/demographic of unsheltered persons. The RHP also includes statistical summaries of each of the 18 incorporated cities in County and by various districts: congressional, city council, county supervisor. Key findings include:

San Diego County Statistics:

o During the PIT, 8,574 homeless people were counted – 4,599 (53.6%) of whom are unsheltered.o 54% of the County’s homeless were counted in the City of San Diego.o San Diego City Council - District 2 has 74% of the city’s total homeless population.o Outside of the city of San Diego, cities with the highest homeless populations are Escondido (8.6%), Oceanside (6.1%), and El Cajon (5.6%).

From the PIT ‘Street Survey’ (N=367):

o Nearly two thirds (64.8%) were between the ages of 40 and 60.o Almost one in four (22.9%) reported that they have military experience.o Two-thirds (65.7%) were homeless already when they moved here.o More than one in four (26.7%) said that they have a mental illness.o Almost half (46.6%) reported struggling with alcohol or drug abuse (present or past).o About 4 in 10 persons reported having accessed the emergency room in the past year.o One out of four homeless females reported being sexually assaulted.o Nearly 1 in 4 (24.3%) is considered to be ‘chronically homeless.’

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About Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH)

The RTFH supports and empowers San Diego County’s homeless service providers. On a daily basis, the RTFH manages a countywide Homeless Information System (HMIS) that is used by dozens of local service providers who run 300+ distinct programs. The HMIS is used to support case management, to track persons served, to refer individuals and families to critical resources, to gather key demographic data, and to understand trends. Working together, we can better understand homelessness, develop best practices, and find sustainable solutions.